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Friday, December 31, 2010

This is our fourth edition of 'Between the Pipes with Keith Kinkaid'. Keith is currently ranked in the top ten in division 1 goaltending statistics with a save percentage of .917 through 938 minutes of play. His talents will be pressed this holiday weekend by the high-powered offenses of University of Minnesota and Bemidji St.

How was your Christmas break? Did you do anything in particular over your few days off from the ice?

Christmas break was good. It was good to get a little off time to spend with the family. We had Christmas Eve at a friends house and Christmas day at my Aunts like we do every year. Managed to sneak in two workouts over break as well.

What is your New Years' Resolution? What do you look forward to most about winter team back at school?

My New Years' Resolution would have to be to help lead Union to an ECAC Championship and overall a National Championship. I look forward to the students coming back to campus and seeing them at our games since we have quite a few home games left during winter term. Their support is very appreciated and helps us out on the ice.

What are your personal and the team's expectations heading into the Dodge Holiday Classic out in Minneapolis?

Our expectations are to get back on the winning track and come into a Minnesota atmosphere and steal the show. We are playing two very talented teams so we are going to need our A games each day which will help us get the two wins.

What will be the keys to this weekend's games? How will the team go about implementing this strategy?

Since we are playing on an olympic ice sheet this weekend, we are going to need to use our speed gaining the zone and making plays. We also need to come back hard on defense to disrupt any offense Minnesota or Bemidji try to create. We've worked on how we are going to counter act each game and we just need to execute on the ice.

If you were stuck on a desolate island with one teammate, who would it be and why?

If I was stuck on a desolate island with one teammate it'd have to be Wayne. We have been roommates ever since last year and we have the same interests. We also get along really well.

Well there you have it folks, you've heard it from the man himself. Please leave your reviews in the comment box below. Have a safe and happy New Year! And remember fans, you can find Keith Kinkaid on facebook at any time during the day. -JZolot

Bucky the Beaver (left) and Goldy the Gopher (right)
I wonder if Dutchy the Dutchman will be there... haha

This weekend the Dutchmen will play the #19 University of Minnesota Golden Gophers (Friday) and Bemidji State Beavers (Saturday) in the Mariucci Classic in Minnesota.
Both of these games are extremely important out of conference (OOC) games that will make a big difference in where Union finishes in the PairWise Rankings (PWR). The Dutchmen are 1-3-1 in OOC road games this season with their only win coming against Alaska-Anchorage and the tie coming against RPI in Lake Placid. They need to find a way to beat good teams on the road, but haven't done so in the games against Alaska-Fairbanks and Western Michigan.

This is Union's last chance to prove to the nation that they can beat tough OOC opponents and deserve to be in the national tournament. Personally, if Union cannot win a game in this tournament I really don't see them making the national tournament unless they make a run in the ECAC playoffs. Two wins would be so huge and would give the team a lot of momentum heading into the bulk of the league schedule.

Hopefully Union living legend Adam Presizniuk can return to the lineup this weekend. The Dutchmen have scored a combined two goals in their past three road games without Prez, and could really use his help to get the offense back on track and take some focus off of Jeremy Welsh and Daniel Carr. Prezie is the "go-to guy" on the team, and every successful team has a "go-to guy." Without a good and healthy Prezie, I cannot see this team going very far. According to Ken Schott, Coach Leaman said Presizniuk's status will be a game-time decision.

On a personal note, I have seen both Minnesota and Bemidji in the Frozen Four. I saw the Gophers win the national championship in 2002 in St. Paul, Minnesota in one of the most exciting championship games I've seen, and caught Beaver Fever in 2009 when Bemidji made their Cinderella run to the Frozen Four in Washington D.C.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Tonight (Tuesday) my Dad, my two two little brothers, and I trekked over to Tate Rink to watch Army take on the Russian Red Stars, who are basically Russia's junior 'B' team. They weren't much of a 'B' team as the Russians completely overwhelmed the Black Knights and beat them 11-4. The Russians played a very high-paced game, and their opponent just couldn't handle them. You can check out the game recap here.

I try to see an Army game every winter break because that is where I learned to love hockey, especially college hockey. I went to my first college hockey game at Army during the 1993-1994 season, and two years later my Dad bought two season tickets. I instantly fell in love. The Black Knights were my favorite team. I can still name some of the stars of that team to this day... Ian Winer, Mike Mansell, Mike Gunning, Frank Fede, Andy Lundbohm, Daryl Chamberlain, Greg Buckheimer, Dan Hinote (who has had a very succesful NHL career after leaving Army after the 1995-1996 season), Anthony Felice, and so on.

During the that early part of that first season, Army played Union to a 0-0 tie. This was the first time I ever heard of Union and when I was told to take a look at the school, that scoreless tie was the first thing to come to my mind. We would go to pretty much every home game for many years. Army hockey and my Dad are the reasons why I follow college hockey, go to the Frozen Four, and care so much about hockey at Union. Even though Union is definitely #1 in my book, Army still has that special place in my heart.

I took some pictures and video from the game. Enjoy!

Army Bench with Head Coach Brian Riley

Army defenseman John Clark. John is 5' 8" and 185 pounds, which gives me hope that one day I can be a D-1 defenseman

John's brother, Jay, had a tough night in net

It was a pretty packed house (over 2,600 people), which surprised us. We thought it would just be 50 people and a goat

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There was a goal every four minutes

An Army tradition for as long as I can remember. Union does the same thing.

The Russian goalie let up four goals, but had nothing to worry about

The two teams took a picture together after the game

The Russians had some fun taking pictures after their win

Picture of the 1995-1996 team hanging in Tate Rink

The captain of the 1995-1996 team was Ian Winer (#15). Ian was my first favorite hockey player. He was my favorite player for two reasons: 1) he was the best player on the team, and 2) I sat next to his father. From peewees to today, I wear #15 in honor of Ian. The following season, Ian's brother, Cory, came to Army and was a standout goaltender. Cory wore #31 and I wore the same number for two seasons in high school lacrosse while he was serving our country over seas.

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Greg Buckheimer (left) and Andy Lundbohm during the late 90's. In Mites and Squirts I wore #10 in honor of Lundbohm. I got to spend some time with him and really liked him as a person and a player. He ended up getting drafted by the San Jose Sharks.

My Dad, and my brothers Adam (14) and Michael (18) in our front row seats in Section 11. For the first few season we only had two season tickets. But, when Mr. Winer's kids graduated he sold us his two seats so my brothers could come to every game.

Monday, December 27, 2010

With the 2011 NHL Winter Classic coming up this Saturday, I thought it would be appropriate to show highlights of two of the latest college hockey games to be played outdoors.

The first video is of the "The Big Chill at the Big House" where Michigan and Michigan State played in front of a record 113,411 people (at least that was the number that was announced) a few weeks ago. The second is highlights from "Frozen Fenway" where Boston University and Boston College went head-to-head at Fenway Park last season.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Last week, Chris Heisenberg confirmed that Daniel Ciampini has committed to play for Union next season. Ciampini is currently playing for and is the captain of the St. Michael's Buzzers in the CCHL (the same league freshman forward Josh Jooris played in). He is listed at 6-feet tall and 183 pounds.

The Concord, Ontario native seems like a big goal scorer, which is always welcomed. Ciampini led his team in scoring last season (42 goals and 46 assists in 49 games), and is doing the same this year (22 goals and 36 assists and 37 games). For more check out his profile on the CCHL website here.
Check out a "A Foot in the Crease" podcast featuring Ciampini from May 2010 here.

Friday, December 24, 2010

After three weeks in Egypt and a few days of catching up on sleep, I am finally back and ready to go! I've spent the past few days reading up on all the Union Hockey news that I missed, and other happenings around the college hockey world.

I followed our Dutchmen as best I could while in Egypt through text messages from Union Athletics, my Dad (thanks Dad!), and the random 15 minutes I was able to snag some free Internet. But, I was able to watch the entire Union-Yale game on my friend Mark's computer while sitting in the lobby of our beautiful 5-star hotel in Aswan (remember that Egypt time is seven hours ahead of New York time!). It was obviously a disappointing outcome, but it was a cool experience to watch a Union hockey game while in a foreign country.

I think Justin did a great job taking over the blog while I was away, and he should be applauded for his hard work and originality. I really like the segment with Keith Kinkaid. Hopefully we will be seeing more of Justin throughout the season. Also, a special thanks to Brock Matheson for agreeing to do "Captain's Log." I approached him about doing the segment right before I left for Egypt, and he immediately agreed. Brock did a great job.

From what I can tell, our boys had a mediocre three weeks. They beat up on the Atlantic Hockey teams at home and had a very nice win on the road at Brown, but were unable to pull out the big win on the road at Yale and Western Michigan. If the Dutchmen want to make the national tournament they MUST win these kind of games. It was also disappointing to see that they only scored a combined two goals in those three games. I guess having Adam Presizniuk out has hurt the offense. It also seems that Coach Leaman has had a tough time finding the right combination at forward. Maybe it's time to go with a Welsh-Zajac-Carr line?

That being said, the games against Minnesota and Bemidji on New Years Eve and New Years Day are extremely important. These are the last out-of-conference games before it's ECAC play for the rest of the season. Not to put too much pressure on these guys, but they have to win both of these games. Both the Golden Gophers and Beavers are below the Dutchmen in the national rankings and the PWR (by the way Union is 14th in the PWR, which would give them a berth to the national tournament).

Right now the players are home with their families celebrating the holidays. I would like to wish the Dutchmen and the rest of the Union community a happy and a healthy holiday. The Union hockey players are some of the hardest working individuals on campus, and they barely have time to take a break and see their families. I hope that they all enjoy their time at home, and come back rested so they can begin their roll to the playoffs on New Years Eve.

I hope you like my pictures with the Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx! Merry Christmas!

Monday, December 20, 2010

In the second of a two-game set at Western Michigan, the men’s hockey team (10-5-3) fell 3-1 to the Broncos (10-6-4) in front of 1,532 fans at Lawson Arena.

With a 1-0 lead entering the second period, Western Michigan scored two goals in a span of 29 seconds to take control of the contest.

Just two minutes into the period, Mike Levendusky’s shot from the point deflected off a Union stick in front of the net and beat Kinkaid at 2:03. Then at 2:32, Kyle O’Kane scored from in close off a centering feed from Derek Roehl, giving the Broncos a 3-0 lead.

With the two teams skating 4-on-4 later in the period, sophomore forward Wayne Simpson helped Union cut the Western Michigan lead to 3-1. Simpson took a long feed from Mat Bodie, cut into the high slot and fired a low wrist shot past Western Michigan goaltender Jerry Kuhn at 6:00.

With the Broncos sitting back in their zone for most of the third period, Union had difficulty getting quality scoring chances the rest of the way. Simpson had Union’s best opportunity to cut into the lead, firing a wrist shot off the outside of the post midway through the final period of play.

For just the fourth time this season, Union allowed its opponent to score the first goal of the game.

Western Michigan forward Max Campbell got the Broncos on the board at 10:41 of the first period. Campbell took a feed from Greg Squires, skated across the middle of the zone and fired a wrist shot over the shoulder of sophomore goaltender Keith Kinkaid to give WMU at 1-0 lead.

The Broncos would go on to outshoot Union 14-6 in the second period, when they took control of the game. For the game, Western Michigan held a 25-19 shot advantage. Union will take on Minnesota after the holidays in the Mariucci Classic on Dec. 31 at 7:00 p.m. local time.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

The #10/12 Union Dutchmen drove 12 hours west to Kalamazoo, Michigan to take on out-of-conference Western Michigan in a pair of weekend games. Western Michigan has been ranked as high as #19 in USCHO.com poll rankings, but is currently on the outside looking in on the top 20. The Dutchmen are 7-1-1 in nine non-conference games this season, and 5-6-2 in games against CCHA teams in eight seasons with Nate Leaman as head coach. This marked the first ever meeting between Union and Western Michigan.

Western Michigan took an early 1-0 lead at 15:01 in the first period on a nifty play in the neutral zone by Broncos defenseman Luke Witkowski to set up a two-on-one. Witkowski deflected the puck off the boards to Chase Bailey to the left of the slot, who then fed Shane Berschbach with a cross-ice pass. Berschbach finished into an open net.

The Western Michigan Broncos would strike again in the second period on the the team's third power play opportunity of the game. With senior forward Andrew Buote in the penalty box for boarding, Shane Berschbach took control of a rebound on a blocked shot from the point and fired a low wrist shot from the circle past sophomore goaltender Keith Kinkaid at 3:36.

Trailing 2-0 in the second period, Union would cut Western Michigan’s lead in half on their second power play opportunity of the night. The man advantage was created by sophomore forward Justin Pallos who was tripped up by Jerry Kuhn while driving to the net at 10:29. On the power play, sophomore forward Jeremy Welsh fed freshman defenseman Mat Bodie with a pass across the point. Bodie’s long wrist shot was deflected in front by freshman forward Daniel Carr past Kuhn at 12:23. The goal was Carr’s 10th of the season and sixth point in the last three games.

Carr also received the best opportunity to tie the game with Union on the power play late in the third period. Carr took a long pass from freshman forward Josh Jooris, and skated in alone on a breakaway. His low shot was stopped by Kuhn with 2:25 remaining in the game.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

This is our third edition of 'Between the Pipes with Keith Kinkaid'. Keith is currently ranked in the top ten in division 1 goaltending statistics with a save percentage of .921 through 821 minutes of play. He has recorded 9 wins during his 14 appearances in net this season.

How much time do you spend preparing for a game? What do you do in order to prepare yourself for games?

Preparation starts the night before a game by making sure you eat the right meal and get a good nights sleep. Pregame nap is key right after a team meal. I get to the rink at about 4:45 for a 7PM game. Right when I walk in the rink I have my IPOD game day playlist playing and I get changed out of my street clothes. I do have some superstitions such as doing the same warm-up routine. I get focused for warm-ups and then really zone in for game time.

So the team is heading to Kalamazoo this weekend to take on Western Michigan. What have you learned about this team? What expectations do you have heading into this weekend?

We have been preparing all week for this team. It's hard to sweep a team during a weekend and that's our main focus this weekend. We have gone over video and adjusted how we are going to take on Western Mich. Like any other weekend, we are looking to get nothing less than 4 points. These games are really important because they are out of conference games and could have an effect on our situation at the end of the year.

What are the keys to this weekend's games in pulling out two victories?

The keys to this weekend's games are to play physical, out work the other team and get everything to their net. We need to play consistent throughout each period and play great offensively as well as defensively. Western Michigan has very skilled forwards and we need to shut them down early and often. We cannot give them any odd man rushes or easy offense because they have the ability to make us pay.

Do you prefer these out of conference games over league play?

Out of conference games are always fun because it is a team you don't normally face each year. These games will mean a lot at the end of the season when talking about the National Tournament. Our league is a really tight league to play in and any game is really close. I don't have a preference but if I'd have to pick, I'd say league play.

The month of December has been generally road games I've noticed. Who do you usually room with when you stay at hotels? Is it generally the same person or do you change it up?

I room with Corey [Milan] every road weekend. He has been the only person I have roomed with since I've been here. We are both goaltenders so it makes sense and we get along well together. Can always count on some good laughs during the weekend in our room.

Well there you have it folks, you've heard it from the man himself. Please leave your reviews in the comment box below. And remember fans, you can find Keith Kinkaid on facebook at any time during the day.-JZolot

Hey everyone, Hope you're all doing well and are able to keep warm in these colder temperatures. This will be my last entry for before we all head home for break. We've had some tough lifts and spirited practices this week in anticipation for Western Michigan.

We leave Friday morning at 6:00am to start our 12 hour trip to Kalamazoo, Michigan. Originally, we were thinking of potentially leaving Thursday night around 12am and just driving through the night but we decided against this. They say that the most important night of sleep before a game is two nights before the game, so with that in mind, we decided it'd be better to sleep in our own beds Thursday night. We don't know much about our upcoming opponents but we know these are two very important games for us. We feel it's important for us to end before the break on a high note.

We were able to take care of business against AIC and Army last weekend but Western Michigan will likely be a tougher test for us. Out of conference games are important for the pairwise ranking system which determines which teams will receive an automatic bid for the NCAA tournament. So far our out of conference record is pretty good so we're looking forward to keeping that going.

Playing opponents back to back nights is not something that we experience in the ECAC but something that other leagues do. The only home and home we play is against RPI so playing Western Michigan back to back will be an interesting challenge. We're all excited and looking forward to getting the sweep this weekend! Thanks for reading and I hope everyone enjoys the holiday season!

Monday, December 13, 2010

"Russian style of play, boys. Fluid. Creative. Forwards are constantly circling. They don't so much look for the man as they do a patch of ice. They get the mismatch, two-on-one, easy goal. Their main weapon is intimidation. They know they're gonna win, and so do their opponents. Look, I can give you all a load of crap about how you're a better team than they are, but that's exactly what it'd be. Everyone in this room knows what people say about our chances. I know it. You know it. But I also know there is a way to stay with this team. You don't defend them. You attack them. You take their game and you shove it right back in their face. The team that is finally willing to do this is the team that has a chance to put them down. NHL won't change their game. We will. Rest of the world is afraid of them. Boys, we won't be. No one has ever worked hard enough to skate with the Soviet team for an entire game. Gentlemen, we are gonna work hard enough...." - Herb Brooks, 1980 US Olympic Men's Hockey Coach

After two decisive wins over AIC and Army this past weekend, the Union College Dutchmen have moved up in both the USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls released today.

Union has moved to #10 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll, while coming to a tie at #12 with Notre Dame in the USCHO.com poll. They have also moved up one spot to #8 in the INCH Power Rankings.

The USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine ranking marks the first time the Dutchmen have been ranked in the top ten in either national poll. The Dutchmen have been ranked for 24 consecutive weeks in the USCHO.com poll, extending a school record. Union has been ranked in eight consecutive weeks in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll.

In other ECAC news, Yale remains the top team in the country in both polls, while rival RPI moves up one spot to #14.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

While the Army-Navy football game may have stolen the headlines down in Philadelphia, it was the #13 Union College hockey team that made the statement in the nightcap. The team's 6-2 romping over Army was powered by freshman forward Daniel Carr's first career hat trick, junior forward Luke Cain's pair of goals, and freshmen defensemen Mat Bodie's single goal. The team converted on six of nine power plays, marking a team season high.

Our very own Keith Kinkaid made 16 saves in net to cap off his ninth win of the season. On Army's end, goaltender Jay Clark had a tough night to say the least. Army's 18 penalty minutes was no help in his attempt to defend Union's 53 total shots on net.

In a game that sealed Coach Nate Lehman's 122nd career win as Union's head coach, tying Charlie Morrison (1978-1988) for the school wins record, the Dutchmen improve to 10-3-3. Union will head to Kalamazoo next weekend to to play a pair of games at #20 Western Michigan.

And in other news...#15 RPI defeated #7 Boston University 4-1 at Houston Fieldhouse Saturday afternoon. Just comes to show any ECAC team can hang with the Hockey East this season. Bring on the NCAA tournament already!

Saturday, December 11, 2010

The #13 Union Dutchmen opened up a pair of out-of-conference games last night against the American International College Yellow Jackets at Messa Rink.

The Dutchmen cruised to an 8-1 victory, led by an impressive hat trick scored by sophomore forward Jeremy Welsh, the first of his college career. Other notable goals, including two scored by senior forward Justin Pallos, one scored by junior forward Kelly Zajac, one by senior John Simpson, and another by sophomore Kyle Bodie, added to the lead.

To say the least, AIC's goalie Ryan Kerpan had a tough night attempting to nullify Union's powerful offense that included 46 total shots on goal. On our end, senior goaltender Corey Milan picked up his first win of the season, making 14 stops in net through just over two periods of play. Coach Lehman later replaced him in the third period with freshmen goaltender Troy Grosenick, who played the final 14:26 in the game.

Union outshot AIC 46-19 on the night and finished 1-for-2 on the power play, while holding the Yellow Jackets scoreless in their three power play attempts. The Dutchmen will continue their dominance of out-of-conference opponents tonight at 7:00 pm as they take on Army at Messa Rink.

Friday, December 10, 2010

This weekend the Dutchmen host AIC and Army for their only home games of the winter break. The first video is a preview of AIC's season, while the other two are Army videos. The first Army video is the playing of Army's Alma Mater after a Army-Air Force game. I think it's cool because both of the teams stand together while the song is played, and I pretty much know the song by heart after all my years at Army.

The second is a feature about two sets of brothers who played for the Black Knights last season. This season, the Dutchmen feature two sets of brothers: the Bodies and the Simpsons. Also, freshman Cole Ikkala's brother, Cody, is a sophomore defenseman for the Black Knights. Maybe the two will see each other on the ice Saturday night.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

This is our second edition of 'Between the Pipes with Keith Kinkaid'. Keith is currently ranked in the top ten in division 1 goaltending statistics with a save percentage of .923 through 671 minutes of play. He has also coming off a season high performance of 35 saves this past Sunday at Yale.

Do you enjoy playing on the road in front of hostile fans? Was there any chant or trash talk you heard from this past weekend that made you laugh?

I don't mind the hostile fans. It's actually funny to me, and not a distraction at all. In fact, it makes me want to play better to silence them. The fans at Yale were pretty rowdy, which was exciting. I found it humorous that they used my first name instead of my last name during their chants. At Brown, I did not hear them, but I was told Grosenick got most of the chirps from the fans which was very funny.

Let's talk about the Brown game - After allowing two early goals, how did you deal with the pressure that had probably amounted? In general, do you feel like you play better under pressure?

Brown was an unusual game. It was the first game we had not scored first all season so we had to be the team to come back first in the game. The boys responded really well throughout the whole game and especially in the second period and when Brown tied up the score at three. I did feel a little pressure knowing Brown had tied some big name schools but I do feel like the more pressure there is, the more I am on top of my game.

Lets talk about the Yale game - We know the outcome wasn't exactly what we had hoped for, but many players say that failure brings success. What have you taken from such a loss? In what areas do you hope to sharpen as you enter this weekend's games?

Nobody wants to relive the Yale game. It's behind us now and we have had a great week of practice. It shows character responding well after a loss like last Sunday. We are looking forward to two great games this weekend. We went over our flaws on video and adjusted them this week in practice, and I believe it will help us with these upcoming games.

What are your expectations heading into this weekend's games against AIC and Army? What is your take on these non-league opponents?

Our expectations are always to get the two points out of each game. Anything less is unacceptable. AIC and Army are two hard working teams and we can not overlook them. Like I said, we have practiced really hard this week and look forward to succeeding in both games this weekend.

If Barry Melrose invited you to spend a romantic evening with him, would you accept?

Well I'm not sure how to answer that one. I hope it wouldn't be romantic. If it were a regular, non-romantic dinner, then yeah, why not? He's paying, right? *Laughs*

Well I guess I'll leave it to the imagination of you all to picture how that night ends. Please leave your reviews in the comment box below. And remember fans, you can find Keith Kinkaid on facebook at any time during the day.-JZolot

Hey Fans, Hope everyone is having a good week so far and dealing with the cold weather. We've been busy gearing up for our home games against AIC and Army this weekend.

Looking back at last weekend, there are some positives and negatives to take away from it. Obviously we're all dissappointed about the game against Yale and how it turned out. We weren't able to capitalize on our chances and they exposed us in some areas and played a very strong game. It was a learning experience for us, and we're using it as incentive to get better. When we face them again in our barn, we'll be a better team and be able to exact some revenge.

The Brown game was a different story. It was the first time all year that we didn't score the first goal. Despite facing a two goal deficit, we were able to come back and win. We were happy with the fact that we stayed positive and kept battling despite the deficit. Brown was a very key win for us and was important for us to get some points and move up in the standings.

We know we're in for some tough games this weekend. Last year both AIC and Army gave us some tough games. AIC is a very underrated team and had a big win against RIT last weekend so we know they're going to be hungry and going to try and knock us off. Army is one of the hardest working teams in the nation. They simply try to outwork you every single shift and if you're not ready to work, then you'll have a very a tough time beating them. The main goal for us this weekend is to put in a full 60 minutes both nights and to outwork our opponents.

Monday, December 6, 2010

After a tough, hard fought weekend at Brown and Yale, the Union College Dutchmen retain the #13 spot in both the USCHO.com poll and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll. This marks the 23rd consecutive week the Dutchmen have been ranked in the USCHO.com poll, extending a school record. Union has been ranked in seven consecutive weeks in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll. Yale has moved up one spot to capture the #1 spot in the country, while RPI moves to #15 and Dartmouth sneaks into #19. Union has dropped one spot to #9 in the INCH Power Rankings.

Hey fans, since I know many of you are probably still upset over yesterday's disappointing loss, I thought I would do my best to give you a good laugh.

Little story behind this...when I was a freshmen at Union I lived on the top floor of West. It was great - you get to walk downstairs for brunch in shorts and a t-shirt when its freezing cold out, and, not only that, they used to always leave the doors to the dining hall unlocked so we would sneak downstairs and get ice cream and cereal to snack on at night. When we came back from a long six week winter break, we all found out we had two new hallmates: these freshmen hockey recruits, Carl Eckstrom and Nolan Julseth-White, aka Juice.

At first, we thought Carl was weird with his European style clothes and his obsession of using smiley faces online, and we were all scared to death of Juice because while we were all 18, he looked 35, was jacked out of his mind, and shaved twice a day. But once we got to know them, we realized they were great guys and really easy to live with. They were roommates and called their room 'Club 404' since they would always blare European techno music, put up strobe lights, and invite a whole mess of girls over before going out at night. Classic, I know..but these have been some of my favorite memories at Union.

Carl is unfortunately no longer with us, as he had decided last year to transfer out of Union to continue his hockey career at St. Norbert College, while Juice has become a major force for us on the ice, laying opponents out left and right.

Below are conversations between two talking llamas, whom I easily imagine as my good friends Carl and Juice. Enjoy! -JZolot

Well I wish I was reporting on a much brighter note, but unfortunately the truth hurts sometimes. The Union College Dutchmen fell to the Yale Bulldogs 5-0 in front of a sold out crowd at Ingalls Rink in New Haven, CT.

Although Yale outshot us 40-30, there is no doubt we had our chances. Union Forward Jeremy Welsch ripped a slapshot off the right post on an early powerplay - inches away from puttin it past Yale goalie Ryan Rondeau. In the second period, Union was given a prime opportunity, already trailing in the game 2-0, with a two man advantage. Setting up play after play, we couldn't get the shot on target, ringing it off the glass and along the boards. When asked by the Times Union about that moment in the game, Coach Nate Lehman replied, "When we had the 5-on-3, we had three or four really good looks at it. We didn't cash in. If you're going to beat Yale in their building, you have to cash that in. They won the face-offs, they won special teams, and we turned too many pucks over. They killed us in transition."

The Yale offense, led by two goals by Chris Cahill and four assists by Andrew Miller, powered the victory. For more on Sunday afternoon's game at Yale, please go to the following links:

The best approach is to just put this one behind us. I am sure our players and coaching staff will learn from this defeat and use it towards their success later this season. I honestly cannot wait for another shot at Yale when they travel to Schenectady on January 28th. The Dutchmen resume play next weekend at home against American International College and Army.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

The Union Dutchmen defeated Brown last night 4-3 on an epic comeback for the ages. Shaun Stuart's snipe from the blue line at 15:19 in the third period proved to be the game-winner. It was truly a spectacular sight - the Brown student section, placed strategically behind the Union bench, was silenced and the few Union faithful that were in attendance celebrated in excitement.

After experiencing last night's win in person, I can honestly say that when your a fan of the visiting team, it's ten times sweeter when things go your way. I walked out of Meehan Auditorium with a huge chip on my shoulder, only picturing the same outcome on Sunday at Yale. Can you only imagine what it'll feel like when we defeat #2 Yale on their home ice in front of their fans? Well, I guess we'll have to wait and see....

And with regret to all you Harry Potter fans out there, Hermione Granger was not in attendance at last night's game. Though if she was, however, I am sure she would have been wooed by the plays and good looks of Wayne Simpson.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Introducing the Union Hockey Blog's newest segment of posts - "Between the pipes with Keith Kinkaid." I figured since I was running the show for the next few weeks, I'd do something of my own. Each week I will conduct a short interview with Keith, recapping and previewing recent games from his perspective. Keith is currently the 4th ranked goalie in the country, according the College Hockey News, with a save percentage of .936 over 641 minutes of play. So without further ado, lets get started...

What is your favorite part of the Thanksgiving holiday? Did you do anything in particular over the few days you had off?

My favorite part about Thanksgiving holiday would have to be the meal. Over break, I had Thanksgiving at a family friend's house with my Dad since my Mom and Sister were in California. I also went to the New York Islanders vs. New Jersey Devils game the day after Thanksgiving.

How would you evaluate your level of play up to this point in the season?

I think there's always room for improvement which I need to continue to work hard at. Also, the boys have been there for me all season which has lead to continued success as a team.

What has been the biggest obstacle you have faced on the ice thus far this season?

The biggest obstacle I have faced so far would be letting up a soft goal that I know I should have stopped or letting up a go-ahead goal late in the game.

What are your thoughts heading into two tough road games against Brown and Yale? Which players will you be paying most attention to in preparation for these two games?

Since I've been here we have been 0-3-1 against these two teams combined. Brown and Yale are two really talented teams. Since our league is so tight, these points are going to be very important. Our team has had some great practices over our two week break, and I believe we are up to the challenge and are looking forward to two really competitive ECAC hockey games. As for players, you can't worry about any one player in particular but you do have to be aware when the top scorers are out there. Both teams are so skilled that you have to be prepared for anyone who has the puck on the ice.

What advice has the coaching staff and your teammates given you as you head into this weekend's games?

The coaching staff has prepared not only me, but the whole team for these two games as we do any other team. We need to take each game one at a time. Our practices have gone really well, and this has given everyone confidence going into the weekend. The coaching staff does a really good job preparing us for what to expect from each team and how to contain them.

Ok, so I had to ask, which of your teammates has the best looking girlfriend?

*Laughs*... Well I got a little feedback from Welshy and we both think Brock has the best looking girlfriend on the team.

Well there you have it folks, you've heard it from the man himself. Please leave your reviews in the comment box below. And remember fans, you can find Keith Kinkaid on facebook at any time during the day.